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Wheat (1) - Part 1
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1180. But its quality is estimate?—Yes, but it is then all dumped into one truck, and the total truck, not the separate lots, is checked again at the depot. 1181. Then there is only one check on each individual consignment?—Yes. 1182. Was that different in previous years?—No, the same thing obtained. 1183. I thought you said that if the local agent did not estimate it accurately it would be checked at the other end?—It is, but not separately. (The witness retired.) The Commission adjourned. TUESDAY, 9th JULY, 1918. (At Perth.) Present: Hon. W. C. Angwin, M.L.A. (Chairman), Hon. J. F. Allen, M.L.C. | Hon, R. G. Ardagh, M.L.C. T. H. Harrison, Esq., M.L.A. | S. M. Brown, Esq., M.L.A. JAMES JOHNSTON MACDONALD, Commission Agent, sworn and examined: 1184. By the CHAIRMAN: I believe you have some information which may be of use to the Commission as to the working of the Wheat Scheme in the past, and which also may be of advantage in considering the working of the Scheme in the future. We should be pleased if you would make a statement in regard to the matter?—I was with the Empire Milling Coy. for six years as accountant and tally clerk, and part of the time as manager. I was for seven seasons with John Darling & Sons. In 1915 I joined Dreyfus & Co. I have therefore had considerable experience so far as grain is concerned. After handling wheat for 13 seasons I was under the impression that I knew a good deal about it, but when I linked up with Dreyfus & Co. I began to find out that there was more in the grain trade than I had imagined. During the time I was with Dreyfus & Co. I learned a considerable amount. In the country the general impression is that anyone can take charge of a wheat station. A great deal of knowledge is really required to handle wheat in the country. Whilst with Dreyfus & Co., I handled wheat for the Scheme as their agent. I handled 150,000 bags in 1915 and 70,000 bags in 1916. We had to take every responsibility and supply our own dunnage. We were continally patrolled along the line by the firm's inspector, who kept our work up to the mark. If we did not keep up to the mark we were told we would have to pay for all losses or the firm would get someone else to handle the wheat. The greatest care and mice attention were given to the work at that time. When the mice plague came along, and we had it particularly bad along our line, we lost money on the transaction at the finish. One thing that strikes me as being crude is the stacking sites that are given in the country. There are many places which are not fit for the stacking of a single bag of wheat. My stack at Badjolin was nearly washed away. The water was three bags high and the soakage went higher. The Westralian Farmers' stack, which was close by, also suffered, but not to the same extent as mine. The water was so bad that we had to drive out by cart and walk three miles to get to the siding. We got the wheat away eventually, but a great deal of damage had been done to it. I had three layers of dunnage under it. At Quairading I had the end of the yard which was mapped out by the railways for wheat stacking. We waited as a deputation on the Commissioner and pointed out that there was a splendid piece of ground high and dry at the cattle yards. I saw that there would be trouble if the wheat was not stacked at some other place. The Commissioner of Railways, however, put the site at the far end. In June and July I stood along my own stacks and the water was running over the tops of my knees. My feet were higher than the dunnage then. The stack was well built and stood up, but when the wheat was shifted a lot of damage had been done to it by weevils. Fortunately the weevils had not done as much harm as might have been the case. It is hardly a fair thing that the farmer should have to pay the stacking site rents on the railways. The land is there and is no use for anything. If wheat stays in the stack or any length of time the charges become very oppressive. 1185. By Mr. HARRISON: What is the charge?—I think it is either 25s. or £2 10s. per annum for 1,000 square feet. Instead of the money being spent at these depots, it would have been better if the most important places had been picked out, around which wheat would always be grown, and if sheds had been erected there in place of all this double handling. In that way the country would have been saved a lot of money and the labour difficulties would not have been so great. The question of dockages on the farmers' wheat is a serious one. Western Australia does not possess many men who know much about wheat. When the wheat was handed over to one firm none of the men who had much knowledge went over to that firm. No one came along to handle the wheat. A farmer would come in and hand his wheat over to an inexperienced man, and when the wheat was stacked it was found that a loss had been incurred. In order to counteract this loss, a dockage of, say, 4d. a bushel would be put on the next consignment of wheat. I do not know how these men could form an idea of what they should charge for dockage. With idea of what they should charge for dockage. With all my experience I would not say that I would be infallible on this question. I do not think I should have gone as high as some of the dockages up the line. 1186. By Hon. J. F. ALLEN: You are speaking of this year's harvest?—Yes. During the previous year's harvest I had repeatedly to dock down the wheat because of there being too much barley in it, and for other causes, the dockage sometimes reaching 3d. a bushel. Some of my opposition friends, however, would come along and class it as f.a.q., and it would go into their stacks. They were of course lucky because the wheat subsequently went into the Pool. My general experience with labour in the country shows me that in order to get the work done properly, one must know the business thoroughly. If the men see that one does not understand the job, they will throw stuff in anyhow. In my time we were told that a stack would have to be of a certain height, and if it did not reach that
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